Someone Help me make my fuel guage work !

[nivvy]

I am almost at the point of trowing  at my car.....cannot get the fuel guage to work....and before anyone asks the wiring is new the guage is new (autometer phantom) talked to autometer and they said it was a ground issue...battery is new gas tank and sending unit is new as well.....  every other phantom guage i wired up is fine but cant get the ohms things to work !!! 

[jeryst]

Did you get the PM I sent?

[nivvy]

yes...i give up I cant figure it out!!! Im putting my car up for sale........... 

[jeryst]

Does it do anything at all, or is it totally dead?

[nivvy]

Ok the facts are:

New Autometer Fuel Guage - autometer had me ground it and the guage read full...so it works! they told me its a ground issue?
New gas tank
New Sending Unit - have not ran test yet if bad have to get an ohm meter...
Both sending unit & Fuel guage are compatible with each other..well thats what quantam told me?
Removed old fuel line and ran -6an line with padded line clamps...hmmmmm!
Do not have factory ground strap! - Tried running heavy guage wire from sending unit to frame to make a ground!

      

[Bullitt-]

test by grounding wire that connects to sending unit to eliminate the sending unit as possoble problem. If the guage does not work then you know it's in the wiring, if it does you know its the sending unit or it is not grounded.

[nivvy]

autometer had me ground the guage and it works...

[Bullitt-]

autometer had me ground the guage and it works...

Obviously the problem is in the cars wiring or sending unit, the test I am suggesting is to find the problem, not test the new guage.

[Super Blue 72]

If the gauge is all hooked up (+ volts and ground wire going to sending unit) and you ground the wire at the end where it connects to the sending unit what happens?    I had mice nibble on my sending unit wire and made an open circuit.

[70_challenger]

You should just go ahead and get rid of the car.  I'll take it off your hands, if that will help!   

Seriously, what bullitt99 and Super Blue 72 have suggested is right on.  You want to isolate the problem to either the sending unit, the gauge, or the wiring/connections in between.  (You seem to have checked the gauge and found it to be OK).  Their suggestion to ground at the sending unit will help you isolate where the problem happens.

It is possible that the sending unit is bad, or that there is an open circuit somewhere in between the sending unit and gauge.

Good luck!

Tom

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Since your solid fuel line is isolated from ground due to the padded clamps, where on the body are you connecting the sending unit to ground? It needs to be a nice clean connection. No paint or anything in the way.


  Mike

[nivvy]

I am getting an ohm meter to test out the sending unit...as far as grounding the sending unit I am just wrapping wire around it and trying to ground it to the frame... 

[MEK-Dangerfield]

I am getting an ohm meter to test out the sending unit...as far as grounding the sending unit I am just wrapping wire around it and trying to ground it to the frame... 

OK, You need to clamp a wire onto the pick-up tube. Bite into the metal. Same with the frame of your car. Find a place you can drill a hole thru underneath and screw a wire in. Hey, I can climb under mine tomorrow and take pics of where I grounded an electric fuel pump that I once had.

  Mike

[nivvy]

here is a pic if that helps..

[MEK-Dangerfield]

OK, but that wire on a bolt to your frame... I don't see it going to your pick-up tube. There is a wire on your pick-up tube, where is that headed?



  Mike